I don't own the Loud House
Night Walk Chapter 1
Lincoln sat on his bed, his face twisted in anger and frustration from recent events. He had been unjustly punished for clogging the toilet, which led to him missing the convention. In truth, it was Lucy Loud who had jammed it with her Princess Pony book. While Lincoln didn't mind assisting Lucy, the disappointment of missing the convention lingered. "I'm upset," Lincoln admitted. Yet, he accepted the blame, enduring relentless teasing from his sisters.
Lincoln retreated to his room, tossed his Ace Savvy costume aside, and settled onto his bed. He hadn't encountered his sisters since 8 P.M., and he wasn't prepared to confront them yet. His mother, Rita, was especially disappointed in him. The two-week grounding stung, as neither his parents nor his sisters would accept his version of events. "This is the worst day of my life," Lincoln mused. At first, his sisters mocked him for emulating his favorite hero, Ace Savvy. Later, he was wrongly blamed for blocking the toilet. The situation deteriorated when Lola took pleasure in his predicament, calling their father over as the others looked on with scorn. After discovering who was actually at fault, he chose to shoulder the blame, resulting in his grounding and the loss of a chance to attend an important convention. Now, he faced a five-month wait for the next one. Lincoln fought hard to hold back his tears.
Lincoln, reluctant to stay confined in his room, longed for the peace of the outdoors. He set out on a night-time walk to clear the day's clutter from his mind. Taking measured steps, he opened the door and stepped into the night. His family, absorbed in lively conversation in the kitchen, didn't notice his quiet departure. "Finally, some time alone," he thought. Six minutes into his walk, a sense of calm washed over him. "This is peaceful," he whispered, as a wave of tranquility settled around him, though a trace of anxiety lingered. "There might be repercussions upon my return, but for now, they don't matter."
Even when Lincoln pretends not to care, he feels alienated from his family. He believes his presence causes trouble and that they would be better off without him. His sisters always follow their desires, like at family gatherings; if they choose the mall and he suggests otherwise, they dismiss it. His preferences are consistently overlooked. "I have nothing in common with my family," Lincoln admits in frustration. Lori is a golf champion with a significant other, Leni has a knack for fashion design, Luna is adept in music and songwriting, Luan is a comedy genius, Lynn is an athletic prodigy, Lucy crafts beautiful poetry, Lana has an affinity for animals and repair work, Lola shines in pageants and cooking, Lisa is successful in her pursuits, Lily is gifted in drawing, Dad is a master chef, Mom is a distinguished writer, and I? It seems I only stumble.
It wouldn't surprise me if I became the family member who brought trouble to everyone. Lincoln looked up at the sky, expecting to see the moon's glow, but was greeted by dark smoke instead. Confused about its source, he followed the smoke trail. As he crossed the street, a terrifying scene unfolded before him: a house engulfed in flames, growing more intense by the second. Lincoln pushed past his fear, knowing he had to act fast; he needed to call the firefighters before the fire spread. He dialed 911, reported the fire, and put away his phone. However, as he was about to leave, a desperate plea for help rang out. "I can't breathe," someone screamed from inside the burning house. With no one else in sight to help, Lincoln charged toward the blaze, ready to brave the dangerous flames.
He assesses the situation, conscious that the fire is growing, yet his sole focus is finding the individual trapped within. "Where are you?" Lincoln yells. Only silence answers back. He repeats his call until a feeble voice replies, "Upstairs, please hurry." The voice is barely audible. "Hang on, I'm coming," Lincoln promises. He dashes upstairs, adeptly dodging the flames. Making his way through the inferno, Lincoln at last finds the person. "I'm here," he declares, poised to carry out the rescue.
Lincoln rushed to the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Why won't it open?" he muttered in desperation. Despite repeatedly charging at the door, it remained unyielding, and as time passed, the smoke from the burning house grew thicker. Struggling to breathe, Lincoln began to cough violently, collapsing to the ground. "Is this it? Is this how I die?" he whispered, his eyes growing heavy. As consciousness slipped away, he heard a familiar voice from the start of the story pleading, "Someone, please help me. I don't want to die," its feeble tone breaking and fading. This plea jolted Lincoln awake; his resolve hardened. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of there," he declared, finding the strength to stand once more.
Lincoln began to push the door, and this time it gave way. "It's working!" Lincoln exclaimed, urging himself to keep pushing the door repeatedly. "Please hurry," the same voice urged, but it stopped, and Lincoln heard something fall. "Hold on, I'll be there soon," he called out. Lincoln ceased pushing and decided to kick the door with his foot. This time, the door broke open, revealing a person lying on the floor. Lincoln rushed to the individual, unable to discern their identity. "Don't worry, I'll get you out of here," Lincoln assured, lifting the person from the ground and moving away from the door he had kicked. But before they could escape, something happened: the ceiling collapsed onto the path by the door, blocking their only exit.
"What? No, no, no, no. This can't be happening," Lincoln mutters in panic. He scans the room for an escape from the blazing house. The only exit is the window. Realizing it's his only chance, Lincoln takes a deep breath and sprints towards the window. With a leap, he crashes through the glass. Landing outside, he's still holding the person he rescued from the flames. He quickly checks them, hoping for the best, but they're not breathing. "Oh no," Lincoln says, worried. He racks his brain for a way to save this person, recalling a lesson from his health class.
During a health class flashback, Mrs. Kate was instructing the students on CPR. "Okay, class, if someone isn't breathing, this technique, known as CPR, can save lives. Here are the steps to perform CPR: Step 1, call 911 or have someone else do it; Step 2, lay the person flat on their back and open their airway; Step 3, if they're not breathing, begin CPR; Step 4, give 30 chest compressions; Step 5, provide two rescue breaths; Step 6, continue until an ambulance or AED arrives." End of flashback. With this knowledge, Lincoln knew what to do. He laid the person on their back and commenced CPR. After checking and finding the person still not breathing, he continued, refusing to give up. "No, I won't let you die," he resolved, and miraculously, on his final attempt, the person began coughing and waking up, just as the firefighters and ambulance arrived. The firefighters tackled the blaze while the paramedics, recognizing Lincoln, rushed over. One paramedic, Henry, approached and asked, "Are you two okay?" Lincoln replied, "Yes, but this person was in the firehouse, and I had to perform CPR." "Okay, let me check this person, then I'll check on you," Henry responded, attending to the individual and placing them in the ambulance. Turning back, he noticed Lincoln was missing. "Wait, where is that kid?" he wondered aloud.
Lincoln was concealed behind a tree, reluctant to reveal why he was out at such a late hour. Once he felt certain the coast was clear, he headed home, concerned for the well-being of the person he had helped. It was too dark to discern whether the individual was male or female, but Lincoln was hopeful they would be alright. Within six minutes, he arrived home, noticing the extinguished lights, a sign that his family was likely asleep. Opting for discretion, he hid at the back of the house to avoid detection. Stealthily, he entered through the dog door, a maneuver he repeated four times. He crept from the kitchen to the living room in darkness. But as he was about to ascend the stairs, the lights flickered on, revealing his family standing with crossed arms, their expressions stern.
"Girls, upstairs now," Lynn Sr. commands, ushering his daughter to go upstairs while still giving Lincoln that same stern look from earlier. Lincoln heads downstairs. Once the girls are upstairs, Lynn Sr. and Rita Loud are visibly unhappy. "Lincoln Albert Loud," they say in unison, a sure sign of their displeasure. "Where in the world have you been?" Rita asks, her tone laced with concern. "I was just taking a walk," Lincoln replies, concealing the fact that he was in a burning house. "Where did you walk to?" Lynn Sr. inquires. "It was just a quick walk," Lincoln insists. "A 'quick walk'? You were gone for 40 minutes. Do you realize how worried we were?" Lynn Sr. presses. "You must let us know whenever you want to go somewhere. It's not like the time you lied about clogging the toilet; this is serious." Lincoln, at a loss for words, remains silent. "You're grounded for two months, Lincoln. No comics, TV, or video games, and you're not leaving the house except for school," Rita declares. Lincoln starts to object, but his father interjects, "No buts, now go to your room." With that, Lincoln turns and heads back to his room. Reaching the top of the stairs, he sees his sisters still looking at him with the same disapproving gaze.
Lincoln remained silent, upset about his two-month grounding. As the seconds ticked by, his sisters retreated to their rooms without a word. "I am very disappointed in you," Lori declared, heading to her room. "Leni, do you realize how worried we are?" Leni, about to respond, walked back to her room but accidentally bumped her head on the doorframe, prompting Lori to guide her back. "That was uncool, dude."" Luna commented, returning to her room. "You're making marking mistakes, haha. Get it? But seriously, that was a mistake," Luan joked, following Luna. "Act your age, bro," Lynn Jr. chided, threatening with a hundred flying spin kicks if he repeated his actions before she too returned to her room. "You've made a grave mistake," Lucy intoned, as she withdrew to her quarters. "We have nothing to say to you," Lana and Lola stated, turning their backs on their brother and walking away. "You're smarter than this; you can make better decisions," Lisa advised, retreating to her room where Lily slept. Left alone in the hallway, Lincoln muttered, "I don't care anymore," and walked back to his room, closing the door behind him.
After half an hour, everyone was asleep except for Lincoln, who was still awake. Lying in bed in his pajamas, he was silent and expressionless. Sighing, he closed his eyes and experienced a flashback. His sister had mocked him for dressing like Ace Savvy and falsely accused him of clogging the toilet. Despite his innocence, he accepted the blame and was grounded for two weeks. His family expressed their disappointment, leading to another grounding for two months. His sisters' hurtful words echoed in his mind, symbolizing his family's alienation. Tears began to stream down his face as he felt isolated and unloved by his family. Overwhelmed by everything that led to this moment, he covered his eyes as more tears fell. He curled up on the bed, overwhelmed by the events, feeling more than upset—depressed, believing his family didn't care about him. He envisioned a family photo where everyone was smiling, reminiscing about the good times they shared. After a few more moments of crying, he finally fell asleep.